A church, guests, a wedding. At first glance, it could be the programme for any wedding celebration. But in Belfast this autumn, the person Darren Jackson wants to marry is called Sarah—and she is an artificial intelligence. With Darren Jackson’s Wedding, Big Telly turns this unsettling idea into an immersive performance: the audience is invited to a fictional ceremony that asks a highly contemporary question. What becomes of our assumptions about love when a machine is the being to which we become attached?
Belfast’s most unexpected wedding this autumn
A real church hosts a theatrical union
Premiering at the Belfast International Arts Festival, the production runs from 21 October to 1 November 2026. The announced route begins at St Bartholomew’s Church in Stranmillis, before continuing with a reception at the Lyric Theatre. This is very much a theatrical production, in which spectators become guests of a fictional family.
On paper, the appeal lies in moving the audience from theatre seats into the conventions of a ceremony. A wedding is a language everyone recognises: there are promises, collective approval and, sometimes, family awkwardness. Introducing an artificial intelligence into this ritual is enough to make these familiar customs suddenly seem less straightforward.
Sarah, a presence conveyed through a voice
In an interview published by the Irish News on 21 October, director Zoe Seaton explains that the bride is a voice in Darren’s head. The strangeness therefore rests on an immaterial presence, and on the way a man and those around him might make room for it.
The newspaper notes that Big Telly has previously taken over unexpected venues, from swimming pools for The Little Mermaid to a real house for the wake in Granny Jackson’s Dead. Here, the company continues its practice of bringing fiction into familiar spaces. This overview describes the project and its creators’ intentions; it is not a post-performance review.
An invitation to reflect on the bonds we create
When feelings meet a programmed response
The subject’s power lies in its ambiguity. In this fiction, Darren appears to be involved in a love story; for the guests, the status of that relationship becomes the central question. Is an attentive response enough to create reciprocity? Can we feel understood by a voice without knowing how much of what lies behind it is calculation or intention?
Comedy provides a way to explore these questions on a family scale. Rather than an abstract debate, there is a union to celebrate, loved ones to win over and an audience called on to bear witness. For travellers, it is an unusual opportunity to encounter a Northern Irish production tackling an international subject.
How to attend Darren Jackson’s Wedding
Dates, prices and booking
The festival lists tickets from £16 to £22, with performances at 7.30pm from Tuesday to Saturday and weekend matinees at 2.30pm, depending on the scheduled performances. The Lyric box office notably confirms a £22 performance on Friday 30 October. All times are Belfast local time, and availability should be checked when booking.
The production is presented in English: to enjoy the dialogue and humour, it is best to be comfortable with the language. The meeting point and arrangements for travelling between the two venues should be checked on the ticket or with the box office, particularly if step-free access is required.
Extend your visit at the Lyric
The theatre is also marking its 75th anniversary with A House of Play, an exhibition scheduled to run until 8 November. It looks back in particular at its co-founder Mary O’Malley and artists associated with its history, including Seamus Heaney and Brian Friel. It is a way of placing this future-facing wedding within a cultural story deeply rooted in Belfast.
